OK today was generally a bad day at the office for the phins. However: 1) We are only 1 1/2 seasons removed from a 1-15 campaign. There never were any serious hopes that we would make a deep playoff run this season, especially considering that we have a much tougher schedule this year compared to last. 2) Chad Henne appears to be the real deal. Even with his 3 ints today, they weren't a wide eyed rookie launching ints to opposing jerseys but the result of tips and/or getting hit at the time of delivery. 3) We're starting not one but two rookie corners and all things considered they're playing very well for rookies. 4) The O-line is not only solid but getting deeper too. For the next steps to be made, the to-do list isn't that big. 1) Get a #1 WR. We've got a very nice collection of 2s and 3s. 2) Safeties that can cover as well as support the run 3) A playmaking ILB and fresh legs at OLB. 4) More consistency of effort. Depth is required still at RB, since Ricky isn't going to be around forever, and the O-Line and with the DBs generally. Coaching is still good, especially from the perspective of getting all the coaches rowing in the same boat and in the same direction at the same time, nothing messes players up more than getting mixed messages from the coaching staff. We still have slim hopes for the post season this year. Overall not a bad place to be considering the futility of the Wannstadt years and the trainwreck of the Saban/Cameron years.
No matter how you try to slice it, that loss to a pathetic Buffalo team was just horrible for this franchise. And a game that meant a lot to Miami A big step back.
Small picture? It sucks. Big Picture? Bump in the road. Did anyone expect Superbowl this year? Really?
The Oline is not consistently good. -Defense has collapsed what..5 times in the 4th qtr this year? -ILB's have played too inconsistently -Sparano is too cautious when it comes to playing young players. WE aren't and shouldn't be on the ledge, however some of the problems are unacceptable, we lack an identity on offense and the defense is sieve like far to often. I had high hopes for this team, 1 playoff win, maybe a AFC Championship game appearance, this lose dashed that to bits. The D needs a housecleaning.
The loss was pathetic. I'm still mad about it. I have Sunday ticket and have watched several Bills games this season. They suck. I can't stress that enough. They are a BAD football team and we made them look like a playoff contender. They have a makeshift Oline consisting of castoffs and guys who were watching football at home like us probably a few weeks ago. They don't have a QB either. We made Fitzpatrick look like Jim Kelly had returned. I'm not so sure anymore that these guys are better than last year's squad. Dan Henning calls plays like a mad scientist at times, the defense has to be the worst 4th quarter D in the history of football. We can go up by 21 on the Pats next weekend and if there's more than 4 or 5 minutes in the game I won't feel like they could hold it. Our biggest playmaker on offense is on IR, the next biggest is 32 years old. Our ILBs are slow and are about the farthest things from difference makers you could have on the field, and we just resigned one of them rather than attempt to upgrade. They drafted Pat White like they were on the cusp of a Super Bowl run or something. They thought Ayodele and Crowder were good enough, that's the scary part. Our supposed top receiver is scared of contact and can't catch. They will need an outstanding draft and FA period to turn this around. But who knows, the Bengals only won five games last season and are primed to win the division.
You have a much more optimistic view of Chad Henne's play yesterday than I do... I thought Henne had a terrible game... His passes seemed off the mark and he was really forcing them in the 4th quarter. Probably was just a bad day for him, but I really didn't see much to be optimistic about after that game.
We're not the Raiders now. We had at the start, a Pennington at QB with Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown in the backfield, Ginn who is one of the fastest players in the NFL, JT came back, Joey Porter had an amazing year last year, and we were 11-5/AFC East CHAMPS. Brady was coming off an injury so that was a question mark and they were really the only team to pose a threat in our division imo. If you dont expect to win a championship with your team, why even watch them?
wanting a championship and actually expecting THIS team to win one are two different things. Miami won the division with an incredibly easy schedule, setting a turnover record that can't be duplicated without amazing luck, and the good fortune of the Patriots losing their best player and 3-time Super Bowl champ QB in the first game of the season. this year, the schedule is much tougher and Brady is back and we've got a QB who's never played before starting games. 5-6 is pretty much where this team SHOULD be. that doesn't mean we don't want to win, and aren't disappointed with losses, but some people just have realistic expectations and can see this season as a step in the right direction, not a step backwards.
Because you hope they do. 1 team in 32 does each year, so expecting your team to win the championship every single year is over the top, IMO.
Its no excuse but we lost our starting QB, our starting running back and the catalyst for our WC offense. We also lost a good clutch player, backup running back and a key reserve in Patrick Cobbs. We lost our starting NT who is a force in stopping the opposing teams running games and jamming up the middle in Ferguson. We lost one of our starting CBs and one of our team leaders in Will Allen. Injuries happen but to lose that many starters surely must have a profound effect.
So Rex Ryan was right in saying the Jets are a better team than the phins and were dreadfuly unlucky to lose to us?